Stereotypes: exaggerated or oversimplified description of reality
OFFICIAL WIKIPEDIA DEFINITION- “A stereotype is a belief that may be adoptedabout specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things, but that belief may or may not accurately reflect reality. However, this is only a fundamental psychological definition of a stereotype. Within and across different psychology disciplines, there are different concepts and theories of stereotyping that provide their own expanded definition. Some of these definitions share commonalities, though each one may also harbor unique aspects that may complement or contradict the others.”
OFFICIAL WIKIPEDIA DEFINITION-
“A stereotype is a belief that may be adoptedabout specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things, but that belief may or may not accurately reflect reality. However, this is only a fundamental psychological definition of a stereotype. Within and across different psychology disciplines, there are different concepts and theories of stereotyping that provide their own expanded definition. Some of these definitions share commonalities, though each one may also harbor unique aspects that may complement or contradict the others.”
Found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype If you would like to learn more, please click on the link.